Laundry Treating Apparatus with Hanging System and Air-Gap Insulation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional laundry treating apparatuses are inadequate for deodorizing and crumple removal due to clothes being in a crumpled state during rotation, and they often damage clothes with direct heat transmission, while also lacking effective thermal insulation.
Innovation Solution
A laundry treating apparatus with an outer and inner cabinet, a frame for securing the outer cabinet, a supply unit for hot air or steam, and an air gap forming portion to create space between the cabinets for improved insulation and reduced heat transfer, along with a moving hanger to prevent entanglement and enhance drying, deodorizing, and sterilizing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a drum is used to hold and rotate clothes for deodorizing and crumple removal, then the apparatus can perform these functions, but the clothes remain in a crumpled state during rotation which limits deodorizing and crumple removal effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static drum rotation system into a dynamic hanging system where clothes are suspended and can move freely. The hanger assembly allows clothes to hang vertically and swing during operation, preventing them from remaining in a fixed crumpled state and enabling better exposure to treatment airflow.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of rotating clothes horizontally in a drum as in conventional apparatus, this patent inverts the approach by hanging clothes vertically and treating them in a suspended state. This fundamental reversal of the treatment posture allows clothes to remain unfolded and accessible throughout the process.
2Temperature
If heat is transmitted directly from a heater to clothes, then drying and heating functions are achieved, but the clothes are liable to be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces air as an intermediary medium between the heater and clothes. Instead of direct contact heating, the system heats air which then circulates around the hanging clothes, providing indirect thermal treatment that achieves heating and drying without concentrating damaging heat on the fabric surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses pneumatic circulation of heated air to transfer thermal energy to clothes. A blower or fan moves the heated air through the chamber where clothes hang, creating a convective heat transfer system that distributes heat evenly without direct heater-to-clothes contact.
3Productivity
If thermal insulation between inside and outside of the apparatus is insufficient, then the structure remains simple, but the drying, deodorizing, crumple removal and sterilizing performance becomes poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a nested cabinet structure with an inner cabinet housing the hanging treatment chamber and an outer cabinet providing insulation and structural support. The inner cabinet contains the treatment space where clothes hang, while the outer cabinet forms an insulating envelope, creating a layered configuration that traps heat and improves thermal efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The cabinet structure utilizes composite construction with insulating materials between the inner and outer cabinet walls. This composite design combines structural materials for the cabinet framework with thermal insulation materials to create a thermally efficient barrier that reduces heat loss while maintaining structural integrity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus effectively dries, deodorizes, and sterilizes clothes without damaging them, reduces power consumption, and improves thermal insulation, achieving better performance compared to conventional models.
Implementation Method 1
an air gap forming portion for forming an air gap between the inner cabinet and the outer cabinet
Implementation Method 2
a supply unit portion for supplying hot air or steam to an inside of the inner cabinet
Implementation Method 3
a supply unit portion for supplying hot air or steam to an inside of the inner cabinet
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a laundry treating apparatus which can facilitate clothes drying, deodorizing, crumple-removing and sterilizing, thereby preventing the clothes from damage and providing them with improved thermal insulation.